Some people are exceptional, who want to do more for people, selflessly, even who do not care whether his/her body is hardly permitting. Dr Tofail (COAST board chair for long time) a person like this, in his whole life who want to do some thing for marginalized people. He wanted to do work both in policy and practice level. In respect of policy level, in his whole life he wanted an autonomous, participatory, and dynamic local government.

He was my university classmate, since then we together tried to do something on public good, we formed association and, in our seminar, once Dr Yunus has spoken, we published social science journal. In my job, ie., practical life while after having 9 years in Noakhali/DANIDA project, 2 years in RD9/EU project, 2 years in ICDDRB, I left Dhaka during 1994 for Charfassion, Bhola island with an opportunity has given by Action Aid, to transform their project in a local NGO in a participatory approach. We conducted the process during 1995 to 1998.

Suddenly during 1996 in a fine morning Dr Tofail came in Charfassion, I was astonished a bit. He stayed with my family; my two-son enjoyed him. I informed him my long-term vision to form a coastal based NGO with transformation from Action Aid project. He agreed to join in the board and to support my journey. During 1997 COAST has formed and he became the board member, later in three times he must leave for one or two year, and he joined as Board Chair.

Transformation from an international NGO project not easy, we had to reduce salary two times, we had to face two time staff strikes, we had to initiate micro finance program with right based approach (formation of people organization and facilitating demand mediation capabilities to claim legitimate resources from local government) for financial sustainability of the organization, we gained these in during 1998. Amidst these we have initiated landmark action research and policy advocacies, e.g., usufruct right for the embankment dwellers / settlers during 1998. Apart from this, we have had campaign and advocacy, on no immunity to world bank, rights from climate displacement, climate allocation in national budget, raising voice against VAT as it is a regressive tax, no to debt burden in the name of climate loan, embankment/protection for coastal islands etc.

We strictly maintained annually four-time board meeting, before meeting we had to prepare working papers, this is not only me all the sectoral heads/Director presented their performance, all the key findings from internal audits and micro finance trends have had to present in the board meetings.

In last five years, we have separate financial trend and micro finance meeting. After meeting we had to publish meeting minutes by next 7 days and publish in website. We have included People Organization (leadership representation from group / beneficiaries) in the board. In each agenda as a Chair, he explains those separately to those group member’s representatives.

Only in last three years we have started giving meeting allowances to the board members, otherwise he and other board members participating without any allowances.

We have open but cross communication system, any one can reach to him with grievances, transactions on disciplinary issues for senior level staff finally he / the board chair must deal. He dealt those neutrally and judicially. He often visits field and our central and other offices; he gives advice to me, but he never interfere in day-to-day management of the operation. He does not like fancy car and lavish arrangement for eating food. Sure, we will recoup, but we lost an umbrella like personality.

Dr Tofail last breadth have had happened on 9th September around 9 to 9.30 pm. Along with his family members we all senior staff with him there, I was doing personal follow up on this heart disease for last one year, he took treatment in Bangkok, he took all preparation to go India, but we have prevented it. I was not in favor such operation as this old age with other complicated disease that he did lastly, I made cut shot my abroad visit, for 192 hours stay I made 32 hours journey, meantime he himself took decision to go for surgery.

May ALLAH bless him to heaven. Entire COAST family will remember his contribution.